The Thiel College Alumni Association is proud of the ways in which
Thiel alumni have contributed to their professions, their communities
and their alma mater. The awards given each year at Homecoming
single out those alumni who have distinguished themselves in three
ways:
Distinguished Alumni are nominated by their fellow alumni and
approved for recognition by the Alumni Association Board of
Directors for outstanding contributions to their professions.
Service to Thiel award winners are nominated by alumni and college
personnel and approved for recognition by the Alumni Association
Board of Directors for their loyalty, service and devotion to Thiel
College.
Young Alumni award winners must have received their degree from
Thiel College within the past 10 years. They are nominated by the
faculty and approved by the Alumni Association Board of Directors
for their potential for future accomplishments in their professions
and in their service to the College.

A list of those who have received these awards since their inception is included
at the end of this program.

DR. WILLIAM REINHART ’61
Dr. William Reinhart, Case Western
Reserve University (CWRU) School
of Medicine Professor Emeritus of
Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, has
spent decades as a devoted, professional
ophthalmologist and corneal transplant
surgeon and has been nationally recognized
countless times for his contributions as a
physician, scientist and educator.
He served active duty in the U. S. Marine
Corps from 1956 to 1958 and graduated
from Thiel College with a bachelor’s
degree in physics in 1961. While a student
at Thiel, he was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and the football team.
William earned his M.D. from CWRU School of Medicine in 1968.
His professional appointments include: senior instructor, assistant, associate, and
professor of ophthalmology at CWRU; assistant and associate ophthalmologist at
University Hospitals of Cleveland; medical director, The Cleveland Eye Bank;
active staff in the Department of Surgery/ Ophthalmology MetroHealth Hospital
(formerly Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital), and active staff in the
Department of Surgery/Ophthalmology at the Cleveland Veterans Administration
Hospital. In addition, William has had many other professional ophthalmological
appointments for local sports teams, Case Western Reserve University, The
Cleveland Academy of Medicine and decades of volunteer and leadership positions
in professional associations (Chairman, Eye Bank Association of America from
1994 to 1996) and published more than 100 manuscripts from 1965 to 2010.
William has received numerous awards during his career. His first award, in
1961 was the Westinghouse Achievement Award. He was the recipient of the
Paton Award (1988-1990) from the Eye Bank Association of America. From 1996
to 2011 he was recognized by Cleveland Magazine as one of its “Top Doctors.”
In 2003 he was listed in Consumers’ Research Council of America’s “Guide to
America’s Top Physicians” and named one of the Best Doctors in America. More
recent awards include: Lifetime Volunteer Physician Award for Service Since
1985, bestowed by Eye Care America–The Foundation of the American Academy
of Ophthalmology (2008) and the Secretariat Award, American Academy of
Ophthalmology (2011). Also in 2011 CWRU School of Medicine announced a
$1.5 million endowed chair; The Silvia Baslew Page-William J. Reinhart, M.D.
Research Chair in Ophthalmology funded by patient Silvia Baslew Page.
William’s wife Debra is also a Thiel graduate (1974). They reside in Solon, Ohio
and have four grown children.

Distinguished Alumni Award

MICHAEL A. LANCIOTTI ’78
Michael Lanciotti Jr. ’78 was described in
Management Today as a “very strong leader
and very business savvy…the epitome
of a CEO.” That’s a very hard-earned
compliment to a man who has spent his
professional career working through the
corporate ranks of industrial manufacturing
companies.
Currently, Mike is the CEO of Renegade
Custom Coaches and Trailers in Bristol,
Ind., and oversees two 110,000-squarefoot manufacturing and assembly plants
and a 15,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art fabrication shop. Renegade produces
motor coaches, trailers and specialty vehicles in thousands of custom options.
In just fifteen years, Renegade grew from eight employees to more than 150
and has custom-built more than 2,000 motorhomes and 1,500 trailers. In 2013,
Renegade forecasts sales in excess of $55 million. Mike has been Renegade’s CEO
since 2008.
For nine years prior to joining Renegade, Mike was the President and Chief
Operating Officer of Lock Joint Tube, manufacturers of mechanical and structural
grade steel tubing in four plants located in Indiana, Texas and Tennessee with
more than 700 employees and $150 million in yearly sales. From 1994 to 2001,
he served as Vice President at Jackson Tube Service, another welded steel tube
manufacturer in Piqua, Ohio. He held the title of Controller and Chief Financial
Officer of Miami Industries, now known as Copperweld Miami Division for six
years, and before that he worked as treasurer/controller and corporate accounting
manager for two rubber manufacturers. It’s almost as if Mike was learning the ins
and outs of building RVs right from the beginning, starting with the tires!
While a student at Thiel, Mike was a member of Delta Sigma Phi fraternity,
the wrestling team, the newsletter committee and a library employee. After
graduating Thiel with a degree in accounting, he went on to earn his executive
M.B.A. from Baldwin Wallace College in 1985 with a 4.0 GPA.
Mike holds professional memberships in the National Association of Trailer
Manufacturers and the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association.
He and wife, Frances, live in Mishawaka, Ind., where Mike has been a member
of the Chamber of Commerce and YMCA Boards.

Distinguished Alumni Award

JOHN E. “JACK” MARTIN ’75
Currently the owner and supervisor
of Dusckas-Martin Funeral Homes and
Crematory, Inc., in Erie, Pa., John “Jack”
Martin ’75 spent the early part of his career
in several diverse professions.
After graduating from Thiel with
a bachelor’s degree in psychology and
education, he became a teacher and coach
for Millcreek Township School District
where he was named Teacher of the Year
in 1985. During that time, Jack earned
a Master of Science Degree in counselor
education from Gannon University.
From 1986 to 1989 he spent a very successful stint as Thiel’s Alumni Director
improving the class agent program, strengthening the Parent Association and
encouraging membership to the Society of 1866. His next professional role was
Director of Development at Gannon University. During his five-year tenure
at Gannon, Jack raised nearly $9 million for the institution’s capital campaign.
While he was travelling the country fundraising for his second alma mater, he
earned an Ed.D. in higher education administration from the University of Akron
and then accepted the position of Vice President for Advancement at Edinboro
University.
Throughout Jack’s professional career he also worked part-time at the familyowned funeral home in Erie, Pa. Eventually, after having grown weary of
travel, Jack attended the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science and earned an
associate’s degree in mortuary technology and graduated summa cum laude in
1996. He served as funeral director from 1997-2001 and has been supervisor/
director of Dusckas-Martin Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc. since 2002. In
2012, Jack was named one of four nominees for “National Funeral Director” in
American Funeral Director Magazine.
He serves on many boards in the Erie area and this year was a finalist for the Erie
Commitment Award, rising above hundreds of nominees. Jack is also an adjunct
public speaking instructor at Gannon University.
As a student at Thiel College, Jack was a member of The Thiel Choir and Sigma
Phi Epsilon fraternity. He was also one of the first disk-jockeys on WGRP (now
WXTC)–the Thiel radio station—and notably, the first-ever to play Lynard
Skynard’s “Free Bird.”
Jack and his wife, Karen, live in Erie, Pa., and have two adult sons, Andrew and
Alexander. Jack’s brother, Dr. David Martin ’71, is a former member of the Thiel
College Board of Trustees and received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 1989.

Service to Thiel Award

RAYMOND B. HANLON ’74
As member and then President of the
Alumni Association Board of Directors
from 2006 to 2012, Ray Hanlon reached
out to many classmates, explored ways
to better utilize alumni board members
and attended many alumni events and
Homecomings to help engage and
encourage alumni to support Thiel
College. His featured profile in The Bell
(Fall 2012) – speaks to his dedication
and commitment to Thiel College: “Thiel
affected me in so many positive ways that
the experiences remained in my awareness
of where I came from as I progressed through the normal stages of family and
career life development. In looking back, it really is no surprise that I would find
myself re-engaged with the College by serving on the Alumni Board, and in effect
realizing that my experience at Thiel and my subsequent career and life validate
one another.”
A dedicated member of the Strategic Planning Steering Committee, Ray joined
other board members, alumni, students, community leaders, staff and faculty for
many hours of hard work, careful consideration and thoughtful discussion and
presented Thiel 2016 to the Board of Trustees in November 2011—the final draft
was approved in February 2012, 11 months after work began.
For the past 30 years, Ray has worked at the University of Pittsburgh’s
Department of Psychiatry and Division of Pain Medicine. Besides fulfilling clinical
duties, he lectured in various university and medical departments and mentored
and supervised doctoral students and clinical psychology interns. He recently
opened Hanlon Psychological Health Services (www.hanlonpsychological.com)
in Slippery Rock, Pa., a full-service psychology practice for mental health and
behavioral medicine services.
While a student at Thiel, Ray was involved in intramural athletics, Lambda
Chi Alpha fraternity, the psychology club and the varsity tennis team. He earned
his Master of Science Degree from Millersville University in 1977, professional
psychology license in 1988 and his A.B.D from the University of Pittsburgh in
2002.
Ray is a member of St. Christopher at the Lake Parish where he serves as a
parish pastoral council member, social services volunteer, an usher/greet and
the coordinator of Catholic Men’s Fellowship scripture study group. He and his
wife, Donna, live in Portersville, Pa., and have two adult sons, Aaron and Sean.

Service to Thiel Award

DR. JAMES BLOOMFIELD
Dr. James Bloomfield began his tenure
at Thiel College in 1965 as an instructor
of history. After more than 40 years
of service as assistant, associate and
professor of history, he retired and was
named Professor Emeritus of History
in 2006. Outside of the classroom, he
was very active on campus serving as
department chair and on faculty council
several times. He also served on various
faculty committees, or, as Jim puts it
“nearly every faculty committee at one time or another.” Since his retirement,
he has remained a dedicated member of the campus family by teaching as an
adjunct in the Department of History.
Well respected by his students and colleagues, Jim is a professor who
taught in the classical tradition with polished, articulate lectures. While he
presented rigorous course loads in topics such as 19th Century Europe and
the Middle Ages, his students found him challenging and inspiring. In 2005,
Jim received the Distinguished Teaching Award at Thiel’s annual Founders’
Day celebration.
One of the founding members of the College’s western humanities program,
Jim is especially interested in interdisciplinary courses with major interests in
modern European history and minor concentration on the history of warfare,
especially that of the United States. An art connoisseur world-traveler, Jim has
visited over 14 different countries and most of North America.
He holds professional memberships in the American Historical Association,
American Association of University Professors and the Modern History
Association. Before joining the faculty at Thiel, Jim held instructor positions at
Muhlenberg College and Temple University. He earned his bachelor’s degree
at Muhlenberg College, his master’s at Lehigh University and his Ph.D. from
the University of Pennsylvania.
A member of First United Methodist Church, he and his wife, Janet, have
one daughter, Elizabeth, and three granddaughters.

Young Alumni Award

BRANNING STREET ’06
When one thinks of the importance
of young, vibrant teachers who make
a tremendous difference in the lives of
children, one can immediately think of
Branning Street.
Acquiring a GPA of 3.87 with dual degrees
in elementary education and English/
secondary education certification at Thiel,
he was also involved in Alpha Chi, Les
Lauriers, Lambda Sigma, Kappa Delta Pi,
Sigma Tau Delta, the Thiel Players, English
Club, Art Club and editor of The Phoenix,
literary magazine.
Currently, while teaching, he is working on a master’s degree in literacy from the
University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, where he has a 4.0 GPA.
Branning is employed at Willard Kindergarten, where he teaches 23 students
within a concentrated literacy framework. In the 2010-2011 school year, he
became a technology specialist and taught various technology classes to grades
K-3 and to middle school students. He also assisted and instructed teachers in
technology, taught literature and film courses, and sponsored career services
workshops to junior high students. In the 2009-2010 school year, he taught
seventh-grade language arts and language arts inclusion; in the 2008-2009 school
year, he taught seventh- and eighth-grade language arts in an alternative school to
students with behavior and anger management problems.
His optimism, positive attitude, adaptability, and determination to have his
students succeed have enabled him to instruct struggling students to pass the Ohio
General Test (OGT) by providing one-on-one tutoring and small-group reflection
and to create intervention activities and games for students in study halls for extra
academic support.
He also serves on a committee to rewrite the curriculum maps and plan the
curriculum for seventh-grade language arts for the Warren City School district. He
taught a professional development class called “Incorporating Technology in the
Classroom” for teachers. He has created and led activities for the School Building
Culture team to boost teacher and student morale, and he has led the Million Word
Campaign Committee to encourage reading throughout two K-8 buildings in the
Warren City School District.
Branning also teaches religion lessons and coordinates activities for the children
and teens as the Youth Directory at the Fifth Avenue Community Church in
Youngstown, Ohio.
Branning and his wife, Ashley, ’06 live in Vienna, Ohio.

Young Alumni Award

GRANT ALEXIS ’05
Since graduating from Thiel College
with a bachelor’s degree in history,
Grant T. Alexis ’05 has spent the last
eight years focusing on government and
law. Currently, he is Attorney-Advisor
for the Office of Administrative Law
Judges, U.S. Department of Labor,
in Washington, D.C, where he drafts
decisions and orders in whistleblower,
employment, and compensation cases.
Just one year after graduating summa
cum laude from Thiel College, Grant earned his master’s in international law
and politics from Georgetown University and went to work as a litigation
clerk for Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP, an
intellectual property law firm in Washington, D.C. Grant’s next move was
to the Justice Department’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development,
Assistance and Training (OPDAT) where he was a program analyst. While
there, he planned, organized, and attended training programs for foreign law
enforcement officials in the U.S. and abroad. During this time, Grant received
a Department of Justice Performance Award.
While studying for his law degree he worked as a judicial intern for a
federal judge in Santa Ana, California; an intern in the law department of an
international investment bank; volunteer mediator; business law clinic student
attorney; and an ombudsman for the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.
Grant received his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School in 2012
and has been a Pennsylvania Bar Member since October 2012.
At Thiel, he was a member of Phi Alpha Theta history honorary, Pi Sigma
Alpha political science honorary and Lambda Sigma sophomore service
honorary societies. Grant was also a member of Alpha Chi. He was one of
few Thiel College students who took advantage of the opportunity to attend
Ewha Womans University in Korea his senior year. The second semester of
his junior he participated in the popular Washington Semester program where
he served as a general litigation intern in the Office of the Attorney General.